Molly Eichel

We're surprised he cleared Secret Service security, but Phawker.com editor Jonathan Valania was at the White House on Friday interviewing President Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney, about his love of indie-rock veterans Guided By Voices.

The interview is to appear in the October issue of Magnet. Like the local music magazine, which had been on hiatus, Guided By Voices is also back, after more than five years apart, and plays the Trocadero (1003 Arch) on July 6. Carney revealed his affinity for the Ohio-based Robert Pollard and his GBV cohorts last year. The interview was rescheduled a few times because of Carney's schedule with more serious matters.

"This is gonna be the fun part of my day," Carney told Valania when he walked into his West Wing office, where the pair spent about a half-hour talking.

"No middle fingers were given," Valania said of his visit, referring to the brouhaha set off by South Philly photographer Zoe Strauss and fellow gay activist Matthew Hart when they recently visited the White House and tweeted pictures of themselves giving the finger to a portrait of President Ronald Reagan.